Chillán, city, central Chile, lying in the fertile Central Valley. Founded in 1580 on what is now the site of Chillán Viejo (birthplace of the Chilean liberator Bernardo O’Higgins), the town was moved in 1835 to the north and rebuilt after destruction by an earthquake. Chillán experienced several such disasters, notably in 1939, when the death toll in the area reached 28,000, and again in 2010. The city is now the commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural region, the products of which include wine grapes, fruits, grains, vegetables, and livestock. Processing industries include shoe factories, flour mills, and lumberyards. Chillán is also home to a university and serves as a transportation hub on the Pan-American Highway and the main north-south railroad line. Pop. (2002) 165,528.

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